Fisher Investments overview
Fisher Investments is a large wealth management firm that builds and manages tailored portfolios primarily for clients with at least $1 million in investable assets. Founded in 1979, the fiduciary firm's approach is guided by the active investing philosophy of its founder, Ken Fisher, a well-known investor and author.
Beyond managing your investments, Fisher provides comprehensive financial planning services. Its advisors can help you make everyday wealth decisions on tax management, retirement planning, and more so you can best achieve your financial goals.
Fisher offers clients a dedicated investment counselor to regularly check in with to review their portfolio's performance and adjust their plan as life events and market conditions change.
| Fisher Investments | |
| Best for | High-net-worth individuals who want ongoing financial guidance and portfolio management |
| Services offered |
|
| Unique features/perks |
|
| Number of offices | 16 offices worldwide
|
| AUM | $441 billion |
| Operates as a fiduciary | Yes |
| Customer ratings | Mobile apps: 3.4 stars out of 5 on Apple App Store, 4.3 out of 5 on Google Play
|
| Year founded | 1979 |
Is Fisher Investments good for you?
Fisher Investments could be a good option for you if you have millions of dollars to allocate to your investments and want a professional to manage it for you. Fisher offers three primary types of accounts: equity-focused, balanced, and income-only.
Retirees with at least $5 million in investable assets may find the income-based portfolio particularly attractive, as its annual management fee ranges from a much lower 0.28% to 0.75%, depending on assets managed. Those same people may benefit from Fisher's comprehensive annuity evaluation program to get helpful guidance on an existing annuity they own or one they may be considering.
If you're a big believer in founder Ken Fisher's investment approach, a top-down style that focuses the most on proper asset allocation, and are comfortable letting Fisher's team of advisors fully manage your portfolio, Fisher is a reasonable fit.
When Fisher Investments might not be good for you
Fisher Investments isn't a good fit for everyone. Unlike traditional online brokers and robo-advisors, you're going to need at least $1 million in investable assets to become one of Fisher's clients. That puts Fisher out of reach for many people looking to manage their wealth.
Fisher will sometimes take clients below the $1 million minimum at its discretion, but those accounts are billed at 1.50% instead of 1.25%. The same rate applies if your balance drops below $900,000 through withdrawals. That's the highest rate Fisher charges, and it lands on its smallest accounts.
Even if you have a substantial net worth, Fisher Investments might not work well for you if you prefer to self-direct your investments, whether that's choosing your own asset allocation or even picking individual stocks or funds.
If you are a high-net-worth individual who is comfortable leaving investment decisions to an advisor, you still might find Fisher's management fees on the high side and could turn to a top robo-advisor with lower fees, such as Betterment, instead.
Account types, minimums, and fees
| Equity accounts | Blended accounts | Income-only accounts ($5M+) | |
| Minimum investment | $1 million | $1 million | $5 million |
| Annual advisory fee (tiered) |
|
|
|
| Who it's designed for | Long-term investors | Investors with a moderate risk tolerance | Retirees |
| Fees current as of Fisher's Form ADV Part 2A dated February 11, 2026. Fisher offers standalone fixed-income accounts but doesn't publish a separate fee schedule for them.
Worth knowing: This schedule is a starting point, not a fixed price. Fisher's filing states it may negotiate different rates, including flat rates that apply across all asset levels. If you're bringing several million, ask. |
|||
Fisher Investments services and investment approach
Fisher Investments can build you a tailored investment plan and actively manage it, with portfolio decisions being made by a centralized expert committee.
Portfolio approach: equity, fixed Income, and blended strategies
Fisher Investments operates on a "top-down" 70/20/10 active investment management approach, which assumes that broad asset allocation may drive roughly 70% of long-term investment returns, followed by just 20% for sub-allocation (sectors, countries, and bond duration, for example) and only 10% for individual security picking.
Depending on your personal risk tolerance, cash flow requirements, and long-term financial goals, Fisher constructs tailored strategies falling into three core buckets.
- Equity portfolios: These are geared toward long-term capital growth and are highly diversified across global stock markets.
- Fixed-income portfolios: Focused on income and preserving capital, Fisher uses high-quality bonds and fixed-interest securities to protect against market volatility.
- Blended portfolios: A blended portfolio offers a mix of both stocks and bonds to balance growth with safety.
Dedicated service team and centralized investment committee
Fisher splits sales from service. Clients are assigned a dedicated investment counselor as their primary contact, and Fisher says that person's role is education and plan review rather than selling. Counselors don't make portfolio decisions, though. Those come from a centralized committee, so if clients want a direct line to the people choosing their holdings, this structure won't give them one.
Fisher's centralized Investment Policy Committee, led by founder Ken Fisher, is responsible for making portfolio decisions and setting the overall investment strategy for clients.
Comprehensive financial planning services
While known primarily for portfolio management, Fisher also provides comprehensive financial planning services, which cover most of what a financial advisor does beyond investing. Their advisory teams, along with your personal counselor, can offer specialized help with retirement, tax planning, or comprehensive strategies for managing your life's big financial moments.
Additionally, they provide a thorough annuity evaluation service that helps clients analyze annuities they may have purchased elsewhere (or are considering purchasing) to determine if they make financial sense. Fisher also offers 401(k) solutions and specialized portfolio management for large institutional clients, including pension funds and endowments.
Compare Fisher Investments to top alternatives
| Fisher Investments | Betterment Premium | Facet | |
| Best for | High-net-worth individuals who want ongoing financial guidance and portfolio management | Passive investors who want access to an advisor | Flat-fee financial planning |
| Annual fee | 1.0%-1.25% for equity and blended accounts | 0.65% | $2,600-$8,700 per year depending on services |
| Minimum investment | $1 million | $100,000 | $500 for most accounts |
| Unique features |
|
|
|
| Customer ratings | Mobile app: 3.4 out of 5 on Apple App Store, 4.3 out of 5 on Google Play
BBB: 2.0 out of 5 |
Mobile app: 4.8 out of 5 on Apple App Store, 4.7 out of 5 on Google Play
|
Mobile app: none
|
| Check out our full Betterment review | Check out our full Facet review |
Customer experience and user sentiment
Reviews and complaints
Reviews for Fisher Investments are somewhat mixed. While they carry an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), they score a so-so 2.0 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
One Reddit user spoke highly of Fisher's service. "I'm a Fisher client and have been for about 4 years and they manage about 60% of my retirement portfolio and I have been thrilled. Net of fees, I'm still up over the MCSI benchmark they use and I've called and spoken to tax and Social Security experts. It's a pretty comprehensive service, not just investments. They are a fiduciary and take that very seriously. Once you cross certain thresholds, the fees are lowered."
While some people appreciate having their wealth completely managed, others find the firm's investment model to be a little too restrictive and management costs too high. Some online reviews note that Fisher's sales tactics for recruiting new clients can be aggressive.
According to another Reddit user, "They were very pushy on the phone with me. I asked them to not call me at a certain time, and they kept doing it. They can't be that good if they are that desperate over the phone."
Customer support and digital experience
Fisher Investments prioritizes a high-touch, human approach. Clients receive phone support from their dedicated investment counselor during standard business hours (Monday-Friday). For general questions, prospective clients can call Fisher at (888) 823-9566 or fill out a web form to schedule an appointment.
FAQs
Is Fisher Investments legit?
Fisher Investments is a legitimate and well-known investment advisory firm that was founded in 1979. It is bound by a strict fiduciary duty to legally put its clients' interests first. The firm actively manages more than $441 billion in assets for over 210,000 private and institutional clients globally.
What are the negatives of Fisher Investments?
Some of the biggest negatives for investors regarding Fisher Investments center on the firm's high minimums and somewhat higher-than-average management fees.
To become a client, Fisher has a stated minimum requirement of $1,000,000 of investable assets. Meanwhile, Fisher's standard advisory fee of 1.25% of assets under management (AUM) is above the industry average and can significantly erode long-term returns compared to investing in index funds or opening an account with top robo-advisors.
Who is better: Fidelity or Fisher Investments?
Choosing between the two comes down to how much money you have available to invest and how much help you want. Fidelity is perfect for beginning investors because it has no minimum to open an account, no commissions on U.S. stocks or exchange-traded funds, and plenty of local branch offices you can actually walk into. Fisher Investments is geared to high-net-worth individuals who want to completely hand over their investment portfolios and let fiduciary advisors manage their money.
Bottom line
Fisher works for high-net-worth investors who are comfortable giving up control of their portfolios to a centralized investment team and are willing to pay above-average fees for it. Fisher will assign you a dedicated investment counselor whose only job is to answer your questions (rather than sell you products). You'll pay a premium to have Fisher's team do all the heavy lifting, so if you want a hands-off, expert team managing your wealth, Fisher may make a lot of sense for you.
However, if you want to keep costs as low as possible, Fisher's standard 1.25% annual advisory fee may seem too high. For do-it-yourself investors, consider building your own portfolio at an online broker like Fidelity or Charles Schwab instead to avoid high management fees.
Add Us On Google